What we do

Arts Council Nelson (ACN) is involved in many community events and provides a variety of services through the Nelson and Tasman regions. As well as assisting the funding of community arts projects, it also presents a variety of events and initiatives both independently and in partnership with other local groups, businesses and organisations. ACN welcomes feedback and suggestions from the community regarding new potential initiatives and project ideas

​Advisory and Support

​Whilst ACN works to minimise the need for enquiry approaches through the maintenance of targeted advice and information on this website and through its’ informative Monthly Arts Calendars, we warmly welcome any enquiry no matter how small or large. ACN employs a full-time Community Arts Manager and a part-time Art Administrator, both of whom have broad experience and local knowledge. The ACN office is situated within the Refinery ArtSpace and is manned from 10am - 5pm Monday to Friday.

As an organisation ACN regularly lobbies and advocates on behalf of artists and the wider community.

Funding Assistance and Advice

ACN administers the Nelson City Creative Communities Local arts funding Scheme on behalf of Nelson City Council and is represented on the Tasman Scheme Grants Assessment Committee. The ACN Community Arts Manager is readily available to help with any queries regarding project development through to submitting your application.​

ArtsPromotionACN continually looks for opportunities to enrich and promote the regions' creative happenings and the fruits of our creative community. ​The following are just a few examples of how we go about this:

MONTHLY ARTS CALENDARSArts Calendars detailing arts events, exhibitions, presentations and artists opportunities are collated and produced in printed hard copy poster and leaflet formats for free distribution primarily in the Nelson CBD each month. Email versions of the monthly calendars provide greater detail of listings and are published and distributed to an extensive freely subscribed database. If you would like to be added to this mail out do let us know, alternatively this information is regularly uploaded to our website; See "OPPORTUNITIES' and 'WHAT'S ON' pages. ACN also utilises internet and social media sites to promote Nelsons' art programmes.

NELSON CITY GALLERY GUIDEACN produce a handy pocket sized guide map for creative businesses in the Nelson CBD. This is very popular both with local residents and our many visitors. The success of this has been widely acknowledged and appreciated by the many listed businesses

CHANGING THREADS NATIONAL CONTEMPORARY FIBRE ART AWARDSFor the past eight years ACN have presented this now prestigious showcase attracting the highest calibre of NZ's leading contemporary fibre and textile practitioners. With the impetus of challenging the public perception of work in this field, artists responses have led to strong International interest in the event. Please see Changing Threads page for further details).

BOARD ARTA youth focussed initiative engaging young artists in creating unique designs on skateboard decks. This is a popular event providing three public display opportunities throughout the region and which further engages the wider community through a series of public choice elements. ACN gratefully acknowledge the Creative Communities Scheme for support assistance toward delivery of this project.

ART IN WINDOWSACN presents this event in association with Uniquely Nelson. Corresponding with the Nelson Arts Festival in October it creates a public gallery in the windows of businesses through the Nelson CBD. Artists are paired with businesses to create a spectacular showcase display of local artists' work for the public to enjoy. This initiative provides benefits for artists through the provision of a high public profile marketing opportunity, and has proven beneficial to retailers through the marked increase in foot traffic to their business. Community and visitor engagement is further enhanced through a 'People's Choice' component.

ILLUMINATEBuilding on local business's enthusiasm for Art in Windows, ACN and Uniquely Nelson deliver a similar event based on light. This event invites the community and our visitors to take a journey around Nelson City streets to enjoy creative illuminated window displays designed in collaboration between local artists and retailers.

IN THE FRAMEA youth public visual art initiative, providing young Tasman artists the opportunity to have their work publicly showcased on Queens Street, Richmond.

CREATIVE ARTS NETWORKCAN is an informal opportunity for creative folk across all arts sectors to share, learn and generally make connections with like-minded people to nurture and enhance our creative community.At each monthly session on the last Thursday of the month a short presentation will be made by guest speakers that will be decided upon by attendees’ suggestions, an opportunity for Q&A’s and a time to share news and socialise.Presented by Arts Council Nelson in partnership with Creative Journeys, who thank the Freehouse team for use of the Yurt and ask attendees for a gold coin donation entry and to make good use of the bar!

NELSON CITY ARTS FUNDThe Arts Fund is a NCC annual allocation of funding specifically for public art projects. ACN administers the Arts Fund on behalf of Nelson City Council. Public calls for expressions of interest are made on specific briefs approved by NCC and are promoted widely. Calls for EOI's also appear in our Monthly Arts News and on the 'Opportunities' page on this site.

EXAMPLES OF PREVIOUS INITIATIVES

ART IN THE ELMA TURNER LIBRARY (ATRIUM)Initiated to showcase local sculptors work in a high density resident/visitor destination

ART AT THE AIRPORT TERMINALACN organised on-going visual art displays at the terminal, which were changed monthly. In 2016 this initiative was drastically downsized due to new space restrictions at the greatly developed terminal.

IMPRESSIONS NATIONAL ART AWARDSACN partnered with Impressions Art Supplies & Picture Framers to present these Art Awards for over nine years. This much anticipated event grew to include visual artists from across the country. Like many other initiatives that ACN has helped established and grown to a stand alone position over the years, it has now taken a step back to enable the event to take its' own independent course going forward.

ART MARKETING FORUMIn 2014 ACN presented the first Nelson Art Marketing Forum, which was held at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology. The idea was to ﻿﻿create an environment for sharing knowledge to help local artists market themselves and learn what it takes to be a more profitable artist in Nelson. The Forum had an invited panel of five local arts professional.